Under the skin, the Mk7 makes increased use of lightweight materials. The 2015 Golf's body-in-white is 51 pounds lighter than the previous model. Overall, the Golf is up to 82 pounds lighter, depending on trim and options.

The new engine is also lighter than the old five-banger and more compact. This has some interesting side effects. For example, by integrating the EA888's exhaust
headers directly into the cylinder head, the automaker is able to improve thermal management of
the exhaust and increase the longevity of the turbocharger.

We were able to drive the TSI with both the five-speed manual gearbox and the optional six-speed automatic transmission. The engine's around town performance was pretty good, but I found the gearing to be a tad tall for any real performance driving. For that, you'll want an upgrade to the GTI.

The interior features upgraded materials and visual textures. I was fooled momentarily into thinking that was real metal trim on the dashboard. A probing tap revealed it to be metallic plastic, albeit attractive plastic.